This weekend, the ScoutQuest is on for fun and great prizes

Last month, we told you all about ScoutQuest, the high-tech, interactive treasure hunt in Washington, D.C.

And now the wait is over. On Saturday and Sunday, you and your Scouts can “uncover the links between Scouting and some of our greatest national treasures in this interactive, citywide hunt,” as described by the event’s Web site.

At several stops across our nation’s capital, you and your Scouts will find Quick Response (QR) codes. Players will scan these codes, like the one seen at left, using a free app for their iPhone, Blackberry, Palm, or Android-powered smartphone. Before you begin the game, download a free QR reader application from your smartphone’s app store. It’s easy to use and set up.

Once a code is scanned at each stop on the journey, players uncover clues and get their passport stamped. Each code will also reveal a story, providing a unique view of the place and its connection to Scouting.

Oh, and if you don’t have a smartphone, you can still play. Volunteers will be at each stop to help you read the codes.

The fun begins at 10 a.m. each day and ends at 5 p.m., or when each museum closes (whichever comes first).

Want to win one of the fewer than 200 ScoutQuest patches pictured here? Just make sure you’re following the BSA on Twitter and Facebook. That’s where the ScoutQuest team will announce special clues. When a clue is posted, be one of the first five to meet the roving ScoutQuest guide at the secret location to get a patch.

Everyone who wins the limited-edition patch will also be entered in a drawing for the new HTC Aria smartphone, valued at $369.99.

We know you can’t wait for the fun and chance at great prizes to begin on Saturday. So to tide you over, here’s a look at some of the ScoutQuest stops and what questions will be answered by scanning the QR codes:

International Spy Museum (gift shop): What’s the link between Lord Baden-Powell and espionage?

Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum (Apollo to the Moon exhibit): What role have Scouts played in space exploration?

National Archives (outside queue): What Scouting-related design was patented in 1911?

Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History (Star-Spangled Banner exhibit): How do Scouts do their duty to country by honoring the American flag?

Those are just four of the 12 ScoutQuest stops. For the complete list, visit the ScoutQuest Web site.
Good luck, and have fun!

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Bryan on Scouting is the official blog of Scouting magazine, a Boy Scouts of America publication. Scouting magazine is published five times a year and is received by 1 million registered adult volunteers.